Hong Kong Fringe Club Tonight-Sat, 8pm Several weeks ago, Adam West went to London's West End and was amazed to see Underneath the Lintel playing there, with Richard Schiff (of TV series The West Wing) in the sole role. The 30-year-old had picked the same work for his upcoming production, which starts tonight. 'I watched [Schiff's] performance, taking notes,' says West. 'My interpretation is very different to his. I met him afterwards at the stage doors. I told him I was doing the same play and he said, 'What? You saw another actor doing it? You should never do that'.' But the local English-language theatre regular is confident that his adaptation of the Glen Berger play will work. 'I have no illusions,' he says. 'I do a lot of stuff in Hong Kong, but I don't kid myself - I'm not a trained actor. I recognise that this piece is a stretch for an untrained actor and that's why I'm happy giving all the money to Amnesty International. It feels like an ethical thing to do.' Under the Lintel is a humorous, moving and profound story of one man's journey of self-discovery. An ancient myth is unravelled by a small-town librarian, who embarks on a quest to find out who anonymously returned a book, 113 years late. West says that parts of the play, directed by Adam Garfield, will resonate with the local audience. 'The work reflects Hong Kong as a city where people are extremely busy. Often the job is really silly - like number-crunching. Everything is tied down on the desk. And this guy was doing all that and suddenly there's so much more out there.' West says he's putting part of himself into his character because they share a similar experience. 'I was in a loving relationship, and I messed it up,' he says. 'Schiff said, 'Don't just learn this [play]'. He said you have to find some hook and somehow get yourself into it.' The veterinarian says he was 'blown away' by the script when he first read it. 'It's transforms as the play goes on. It goes on this huge curve. It starts off as an adventure through history, then it becomes a whole different thing. Suddenly, half way through it changes and it goes up a notch to a very different style. 'It's a great comedy and, at the end, the guy has transformed. He has his eyes opened about the universe and there's more to his sad existence as a librarian.' 2 Lower Albert Rd, Central, HK$120. Inquiries: 9127 0420
